


Loyalty

by Akifall



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Marriage, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-20 23:11:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11931309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akifall/pseuds/Akifall
Summary: Jaime reaches Winterfell a few months before the wall falls.





	Loyalty

The snow fell so softly. His horse tore it up as he rode through the northern lands, ice sticking to the reins as his golden-greyed hair turned a solid white.   
The black he wore barely shone through the white, his boots gleaming with a wet shine as the heat radiating from his body pushed him harder into his ride.  
He passed by the wilting crops of summer moments before he saw the giant walls of Winterfell. Jaime pulled the reins and his horse neighed in protest before slowly coming to a halt and allowing the Lannister to dismount. 

The snow beneath his foot crunched thickly as he began to make his way closer to the gate. Perhaps he would be of little use, perhaps they would only find it right to remove his head from his shoulders at once.   
He could only imagine the satisfaction that would grant so many of the northerners.  
Jaime tenderly patted his horse on the rear knowing it was- if not more- exhausted, just as he was.  
Bringing his hand up, he finally caught the attention of a guard on the top of the fort.   
The silver end of a bolt was aimed at him, the man clearly having been trained well with a crossbow. 

“Who goes there?” The man snapped.  
“Jaime Lannister.” Jaime replied back, watching as the man clearly panicked and motioned more of men to assist him.   
As more popped up on top of the wall, he wondered how long it would take before the Starks would be alerted to his presence.   
It didn’t take to long before the gates were opened and he was being told to enter. Grasping hold of his horse’s reins, he made his way into Winterfell. 

It was interesting to see that many people were busy at work despite the cold temperature.   
As Jaime walked his horse to the stables, he was bedazzled by the amount of blacksmithing at work and women weaving flux for bowstring. 

A couple of fletchers watched him as they sat back in chairs and struck wood of their arrows. 

One large boy in particular was racing a wheelbarrow of pastries around, quickly unloading them with precision to the right people.   
Jaime felt his stomach grumble as the rich scent of meat waffled through the air.   
When had he last eaten? He’d almost collapsed from hunger several times.   
There had not been enough time to grab both a horse and gold during his quick escape from Kings Landing.

It would only seem right that the Starks keep a hold of all food for themselves. Perhaps if he was lucky he could convince Tyrion for some.   
He unloaded his horse into an indoor stable, quickly removing the reins and giving it a tender pat before leaving. He’d probably never see his horse again after all. 

Brandon Stark was sat outside the stables waiting for him. His eyes void of emotion as Jaime flinched upon meeting him. 

“Jaime Lannister.” Bran stated, his eyes meeting Jaime’s for a moment before they fell away.   
“You’ve left your sister.” Bran continued. Jaime raised his eyebrow.  
“What gave it away?” Jaime joked. Bran looked back at him.   
“You’ve left your sister.” Bran stated again.  
There surprisingly wasn’t any coldness attached to Bran’s words. No sign of hate or distrust.  
For the first time since it happened, Jaime felt guilt for what he did to the boy. The boy confined to the chair with wheels. Bran didn’t seem at all upset by Jaime’s presence though. 

“Jon is a great leader. But as a military tactician he is somewhat lacking. From what I’ve seen you’d probably be the best military adviser for the upcoming war.”   
Jaime cocked his head.

“And what makes you so sure that the rest of the Starks will allow me that position.”   
Bran went silent for a moment, his eyes darkening for a moment before he focused back on the Lannister.  
“You kept your oath didn’t you?”   
Jaime swallowed, heart picking up as Bran continued to stare into his very soul. 

“My two sisters are in the hall now. You’d best speak to them.”  
Jaime gave a bow of his head and made his way towards the hall. 

“Ser Jaime?” Bran called after him.  
Jaime turned and noticed Bran eyes were darkening again.   
“She’s there to you know.” He said.   
Jaime paused before giving the boy a shaky nod.   
If anyone had told him his stride was more determined he would deny it.  
-  
Sansa had been less forgiving. 

Although she knew Jaime was travelling alone to the North (alerted by Bran), she was still very unsure of what to make of him.   
Part of her wanted to hate him. Part of her didn’t. Many of the northern families wanted him dead, some of them didn’t. Hesitate; she turned her eyes to Brienne.

Sansa would be dead without her; Sansa would have killed herself before Ramsay could get his hands on her again.

Brienne’s face showed desperation.

Brienne was also a good advisor and friend but she also spoke about how kind Jaime had been to her.   
Sansa didn’t know what went on between the two but it was obvious that this man was no longer the same cocky Jaime she met so many years ago as a child.   
With that said, she couldn’t just let him go entirely unpunished. 

“I will grant you lodgings until Jon returns. You will surrender your sword. If you require food, you will eat outside, you are free to hunt if you can find anything to hunt with but any weapon found on your person without explanation will be considered treason.”   
She paused.

“Lady Brienne will be keeping an eye on you. I trust her loyalty. If you betray us in anyway, you will meet the same fate as the last person that betrayed us.”   
-

This was how Jaime found himself outside in the cold, scoffing the small bits of food given to him.   
He hadn’t even been offered any furs as he shivered in the night.   
Winter was truly bitter indeed. The food was even starting to stick to his lips.  
He chuckled miserably.

And then someone was dumping a fur coat onto him.   
Brienne stepped around him, sitting in the snow with a plate of her own food.  
Her plate had considerably a lot more on it and she was reaching forward for his plate and piling half of it on his.   
Jaime began to protest but she simply glared at him.   
She sat in her tunic, chewing noiselessly on her food as he watched her in silent awe.   
-  
The next night they finally spoke   
It wasn’t much but Jaime finally managed to mumble out ‘thank you’ before she turned in for the night.   
She stared at him for a moment before she disappeared back into the hall leaving him with a both plates, she’d barely touched hers.   
-

She taught him to hunt after a month.   
Although a lot of the wild life had gone into hibernation.

He was never much of a hunter, not like his father. Jaime found animals much harder to read than humans. He didn’t particularly enjoy hunting with Robert when he was offered the one time. 

But Brienne was a kind teacher; she showed him how to skin snow rabbits and prepare them for a meal. And as they sat there savouring the stew and talking about how beautiful the stars could be, he found himself wondering why her eyes looked just as pretty.  
-

Jon was a month away. After gathering as much dragon glass as he could he was finally sailing back to Winterfell with the dragon queen.   
It had been 3 months since Jaime had come to Winterfell.  
Sitting out at night with Brienne had become a daily thing.   
But today was different. 

When Jaime found her, she was slouched in a chair outside Sansa’s room. Before Sansa went for her meal, she would often take a bath having Brienne guard her door just in case. Brienne looked dazed and pale, and just as Jaime reached her, he quickly caught her as she blacked out.   
-  
Jaime refused to leave her.   
He didn’t care that the Maester had protested of a possible contamination. He sat by her side holding her hand and begging the gods that she’d live.   
As dinner came around, Sansa entered the room with food.   
She put down the plates and brought in a sewed circle*placing it above Brienne’s bed looking crestfallen.   
“She’ll beat this.” Sansa said with confidence.   
Jaime brought his lips to Brienne’s hands.   
“Of course she will.” He said.   
Sansa smiled before taking her leave.  
-

The snow fell particularly harsh one night.   
The wind held the promise of a chill and everyone had shut themselves in, keeping warm with fire.   
Jaime quarters didn’t have a fireplace. A luxury like that hadn’t been offered to him. The coats didn’t help much in the bitter cold even gaining a layer of frost before long. 

When Brienne checked up on him, she dragged him out the frozen bed. She took his wrist and pulled him outside towards a building near the main house.   
After slamming the door, she took his tunic off harshly and motioned towards a bathtub, drawn earlier by a servant.   
Jaime stared at the water for a moment before Brienne gave up and simply pushed him into it. She drew him up by the shoulders and threw a bar of soap into the water.

He looked up at her and she averted her head with a blush.   
He had enough.   
He brought his arms around her neck and pulled her in.   
Brienne turned to meet his lips full on.   
They kissed silently for a couple of minutes before Jaime pulled away with a gasp.   
Brienne tried to say something.   
So Jaime stood up and pulled her against him.   
Brienne shrieked as she fell on top of him in the tub.   
Jaime brought his hands into her hair and kissed her roughly, ripping her tunic apart and cupping a breast.   
“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted this.” Jaime mumbled before kissing her again.   
-  
Jon arrived with Daenerys shortly after the bitter storm had ended.  
Upon finding Jaime, Daenerys and Jon sat at the head table ready to pass judgement on the Lannister.   
“You’ve left Kings Landing. So am I to assume you’ve switched loyalty.”   
Jaime chuckled.   
“My loyalty lies with my heart. And my heart belongs to Brienne of Tarth.”   
-  
When news of the wall came to them and war steadily drew nearer.  
Jaime and Brienne made a vow to each other.  
Under the heart tree, they tied themselves together.   
And nothing, not even death could take this from them.

**Author's Note:**

> * I can't remember what the wicker circle is the Tully's make for their sick! 
> 
> Sorry if this seems really rushed. I can't tell you how much I am rooting for Brienne/Jaime next season, even though it'll probably just focus on Jon/Dany (I hate that pairing *sulks* why does it build up Brienne x Jaime for like 5 seasons and give us very little but Jon/Dany can be canon in less than that *double sulks*) 
> 
> Sorry I'll quit moaning XD


End file.
